Carolina East Finds Power in Vulnerability with Live Cut of “Until You Are Sorry”

LISTEN TO + SHARE “UNTIL YOU ARE SORRY” (LIVE) HERE

Award-winning East Coast singer-songwriter Carolina East returns with a powerful live version of her 2021 single “Until You Are Sorry,” and it might just be her most emotionally resonant performance yet. Originally recorded during a televised special in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the new release captures East on stage with Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band, bringing new weight and raw vulnerability to a song already rooted in quiet resilience.

With every note, East commands attention—not just because of her powerhouse vocals, but because of the emotional clarity and conviction she brings to the moment. It’s a performance that strips everything down to what matters most: honesty, heart, and healing.

“‘Until You Are Sorry’ was born from the quiet strength it takes to walk away from someone who refuses to take accountability,” East shares. “It’s about loving yourself enough to wait for the apology you know you deserve.”

That sentiment hovers over the performance like a quiet storm. The live version doesn’t reinvent the song—it deepens it. There’s a patience to how East delivers each line, letting her voice swell and retreat with the emotional tides of the lyrics. Where the original version carried a polished, studio-crafted elegance, the live cut adds grit and gravitas. You feel the tension between release and restraint, the quiet resolve in choosing your own worth over someone else's denial.

The recording also marks a pivotal milestone in East’s career. Sharing the stage with Newfoundland icon Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band was more than just a professional opportunity—it was a moment of belonging, of stepping into herself as an artist and performer.

“This recording has become one of my favourites,” she says. “It was one of the first times I truly felt myself on stage – like I belonged up there with those incredible musicians. I’m so proud to finally share it with the world.”

That sense of self-assurance radiates from the performance. There’s no theatrical posturing here—just raw, lived emotion and the kind of presence that can’t be taught. Watching or listening to the performance, it’s easy to believe East when she says this version stands out in her catalog. It’s less a reworking of an older track and more a crystallization of its core truth.

The live rendition was mixed by producer and guitarist Cory Tetford, who brings a polished yet unobtrusive touch to the mix. The balance of intimacy and scale is a delicate one, but Tetford threads it masterfully—allowing East’s vocals to soar when needed while maintaining the emotional texture that makes the performance so impactful.

There’s a kind of alchemy in this version of “Until You Are Sorry.” It transforms pain into power without sacrificing the vulnerability that made the song resonate in the first place. East never rushes the catharsis—she lets it build, lets it ache, lets it breathe. By the time the final chorus hits, the performance feels less like a song and more like a reckoning.

What elevates the release even further is its timing. Coming out of the quiet but creatively rich period of the pandemic, this live cut arrives as a reintroduction, a reminder of East’s singular ability to marry craft with emotional transparency. It’s not just about sounding good—it’s about saying something that matters.

As Carolina East continues to carve her path in Canadian music, this live performance stands as a testament to where she’s been and where she’s headed. “Until You Are Sorry” may be rooted in personal pain, but in her hands, it becomes something universal—an anthem for anyone who’s ever chosen themselves in the face of silence.